This youth theater is Changing Lives: Advice crafted for and by teens, onstage at a school near you
November 28, 2011 | Culture Map

Early on a recent Saturday morning, eight students from the Changing Lives Youth Theater Ensemble performed at the We Are Girls conference in an Austin High classroom packed with middle school girls. One by one, the actors stepped into the spotlight to introduce their characters. "Just because I'm a slut doesn't mean I don't deserve respect." "Just because I'm into academics doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun." The honest, frank language is characteristic of a Changing Lives show. A joint program of Theatre Action Project and Safe Place, CLYTE is a theatre arts program comprised of paid  14-18 year old actors who tour to middle schools and community events in Central Texas, presenting original plays focused on teen social issues like bullying and relationship violence. › more

Bullying and Harassment Policies Fall Short, Panel Is Told
October 13, 2011 | New York Times

Several public health groups praised the city’s changes to its sexual harassment and bullying policies at a meeting in the Bronx on Wednesday night, but they quickly added a caveat. The alterations do not go far enough, they said. At a Panel for Educational Policy meeting where the board voted to approve the revised regulations, employees of the Start Strong Bronx program, which is based at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, said they were pleased to see that dating abuse had been added to the policy as a type of sexual harassment. › more

LAUSD Tackles Teen Dating Violence In the Wake of Cindi Santana’s Death
October 12, 2011 | Huffington Post

The Los Angeles Unified School District is reevaluating teen dating violence prevention in the wake of the tragic death of South East High student Cindi Santana on September 30 of this year. Santana was allegedly stabbed and beaten by ex-boyfriend Abraham Lopez during lunchtime in the courtyard of South East High, and she died of her wounds at a nearby hospital. Before the incident, Santana's mother had warned the school about Lopez; specifically, that the young man had previously been arrested and then released after threatening Santana. › more

What is LAUSD’s responsibility when it comes to teen violence?
October 12, 2011 | KPCC Southern California Public Radio

The murder of Cindi Santana, 17, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Abraham Lopez, 18, on campus during a lunch break at South East High School sent shock waves through the community and the Los Angeles Unified School District. It raised serious questions about how much responsibility schools have in terms of confronting violence on campus. According to the Los Angeles Times, “one in three adolescent girls in the U.S. has been physically, emotionally or verbally abused by a dating partner, and one in 10 high school students has been hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.” › more